The 2025 re-release of OFF added a completely new set of optional bosses known as the Zodiac Bosses. These encounters appear mostly in the purified zones and final chapters of the game, and they are significantly tougher than anything you’ve faced before. While defeating them won’t grant special items or endings, you’ll receive unique dialogue, EXP, and a set of striking pillar art as a reward for clearing them all.
The bosses are:
- Source (Zone 1)
- Maldicion (Zone 2)
- Psalmanazar & Herodotus (Zone 3)
- Justus (The Room)
- Carnival (The Nothingness)
- Cob (Final Area)
Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions for locating and defeating each one, along with strategies to help you survive their gimmicks.
Source (Zone 1)
How to Find
- After defeating Dedan, return to Zone 1.
- Follow the route until you reach the old metal farm area.
- Push the rocks aside to open the northern doorway.
- Inside, climb the ladders and interact with the eye to begin the fight.
Boss Info
- HP: 600
- Resists: Poison, Lethargy
Phases:
- Flourish – Heals itself (can’t damage you yet).
- Verdant Bonds – Adds a regeneration effect; Famine – Poisons a party member.
- Return to Nature – Plants thorns that damage your party whenever they act (~20 damage per move at Lv. 7).
Strategy
Source cannot directly hurt you until Phase 3. For Phases 1–2, just attack normally without wasting resources. When the thorns activate, go on the offensive:
- Batter: Use Furious Home Run.
- Alpha: Use Saturated/Converted String.
- Heal with Luck Tickets or Save First/Second Base if HP dips below ~40.
At around Level 7, this fight is straightforward—expect to spend only a couple of healing items.
Maldicion (Zone 2)
How to Find
- After defeating Japhet, return to Zone 2.
- Travel west toward where the Theme Park used to be. The boss is found there.
Boss Info
- HP: 812
- Adds: Bubbles (350 HP each)
- Resists: Paralysis
Key Attacks:
- Entropic Piety – Hurts itself, applies Impure (random elemental weakness). Later phases summon 1–2 Bubbles.
- Unstable Purity – Hits a party member, makes them Impure.
- Clamor Claws – Full-party damage.
Strategy
Maldicion is much tougher than Source due to the Impure gimmick.
- Impure applies a rotating weakness. Pay attention to the combat messages or test elements to reveal it.
- Batter should be buffed with Classical Drama from Epsilon and hit with strong skills (Special Home Run or elemental attacks if possible).
- Alpha can attempt to poison once shields are down.
- Heal proactively—Clamor Claws can wipe anyone under ~60 HP.
If you’re struggling, level to 13 for access to Meat-element moves, which trivialize unlucky resist rolls. Expect to use some Jokers or Golden Flesh.
Psalmanazar & Herodotus (Zone 3)
How to Find
- After defeating Enoch, revisit Zone 3.
- After dropping down the first pipe, go south down the stairs.
- Enter the hidden gap in the wall to access the boss.
Boss Info
- Psalmanazar HP: 810
- Herodotus HP: 810
- Gnosticus Minions: 220–400 HP
- Resists: Paralysis
Key Attacks:
- Vilify – Disables Competencies for the entire party. Cannot be removed.
- Subterfuge – Inflicts Defamed: one party member gains guaranteed crits. When it ends, all the damage they dealt is returned to the party (plus bonus damage to that member).
- Facade – Summons three Gnosticus. One minion will constantly crit (the “real” one).
Strategy
- Focus on either Psalmanazar or Herodotus—once one falls, the fight becomes easier.
- During Subterfuge, identify the critting ally. Do not attack with them—only heal or defend. Their actions rebound later.
- When Gnosticus spawn, always target the critting one. Killing it destroys all three.
This is a long, attritional fight, but careful restraint will prevent wipes.
Justus (The Room)
How to Find
- Once all three Zodiac bosses are defeated, a staircase appears at the start of The Room. Descend to find Justus.
Boss Info
- HP: 1100
- Uses many Add-On abilities.
Key Attacks:
- Expected Bracket – Inflicts Poison.
- Requisite Bracket – Damage + Lethargy.
- Surrealist Tragedy – Party-wide damage.
- Irrevocable Drama – Self-buff.
Strategy
Justus doesn’t have a unique gimmick, just a strong move pool.
- Batter: Special Home Run as usual.
- Alpha: Apply Poison or Lethargy.
- Omega: Cleanse debuffs.
- Epsilon: Keep buffs active, especially Strength for Batter.
Carnival (The Nothingness)
How to Find
- After defeating Justus, go to the upper-left corner of the world map.
- A swirling portal will take you to a cliff where Carnival awaits.
Boss Info
- HP: 1450
- Cycles through “Games,” imitating other Zodiac bosses.
Phases / Games:
- Aquarius (Justus): Rewards for using Competencies.
- Pisces (Fish): Rewards for taking damage.
- Cancer (Maldicion): Rewards for elemental attacks.
- Leo (Source): Rewards for healing or restoring CC.
Prizes: Triggering the “correct” action fills your action bar ~50%.
Strategy
- Always aim to trigger prizes to gain free turns.
- During Cancer/Pisces phases, keep HP topped up to survive AoE hits.
- Batter: Prioritize Special Home Run or element-based attacks in Cancer phase.
- Alpha: Inflict status when possible.
- Omega: Support with items and elemental damage when needed.
- Epsilon: Buff Batter constantly.
Carnival is harder than Justus, but manageable if you exploit the prize mechanic.
Cob (Final Area)
How to Find
- After defeating the Queen, but before Hugo’s room, a staircase will appear to the left. Descend to face Cob.
Boss Info
- HP: 900
- Resists: Paralysis
- Runs on a fixed loop of devastating attacks.
Pattern:
- Conjugate Auroras – Heals Cob, removes statuses. Clears Vilify.
- Rearrangement of Solid Objects – Party-wide damage (weaker if you’re at low HP).
- Cob watches [X] – Marks a party member.
- Advent of the Corrupted Era – Applies Vilify, disabling Competencies and Items.
- Cob gives [X] a boon – Heals the marked party member.
- Ionosphere – Instantly kills the marked party member (cannot be survived).
Strategy
Cob is brutal because of Vilify blocking skills and items.
- Alpha: Land Poison whenever possible before Vilify is reapplied.
- Revival: Use Jokers liberally—stockpile them before this fight.
- Focus Damage: Don’t waste turns healing minor chip damage; only recover after Ionosphere wipes someone.
- Remember: Rearrangement of Solid Objects is weak if you’re already low, so don’t fear being under ~40 HP.
This is an endurance fight. As long as you keep poisoning and reviving, you’ll eventually wear Cob down.
The Zodiac Bosses are OFF Remaster’s ultimate challenge: unique mechanics, punishing status effects, and battles that force you to think differently than the main story. While your only tangible reward is some pillarbox art, the real prize is conquering some of the most creative and difficult encounters in the game.
If you can beat all six, you’ve truly seen everything the remaster has to offer.